


Milo's 18th birthday

by xNovilunium



Series: Milo's story [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Birthday Party, Non-binary character, Original Character(s), Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Piercings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-05 08:16:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16364192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xNovilunium/pseuds/xNovilunium
Summary: One more cross joined the six red ones on his calendar. He was going to turn eighteen in two days, and Milo had mixed feelings. On one hand he couldn’t wait to be eighteen and be an adult, be free of his movements and do everything he wanted. On the other hand, Milo was scared. Turning eighteen meant that his father would be on his back, more than before, and the little freedom Milo still had would vanish. Legally an adult or not, Milo would have to follow his father’s every order concerning his way of living, his choices – professional or personal – how to dress himself, how to act in public, with important people in his father’s surrounding, and that would literally turn him mad.





	Milo's 18th birthday

One more cross joined the six red ones on his calendar. He was going to turn eighteen in two days, and Milo had mixed feelings. On one hand he couldn’t wait to be eighteen and be an adult, be free of his movements and do everything he wanted. On the other hand, Milo was scared. Turning eighteen meant that his father would be on his back, more than before, and the little freedom Milo still had would vanish. Legally an adult or not, Milo would have to follow his father’s every order concerning his way of living, his choices – professional or personal – how to dress himself, how to act in public, with important people in his father’s surrounding, and that would literally turn him mad.

Spending the day with Maeva and another of their mutual friends, Kai, after his attempt had opened his eyes on an important thing. His father was ruling his life, he wouldn’t let him do that anymore. Those were his choices, his mistakes, his life. Milo wanted to live for himself, not to please his father and be the little boy he’d always wanted to have. And if his father wouldn’t be happy with his choices, he still could leave and accept Maeva’s offer, whether his father would or wouldn’t let him.

Milo had spent such a lovely day with them. A day full of laughter thanks to Maeva’s constant good mood and Kai’s stories like his latest prank to his boyfriend – boyfriend who hadn’t liked the ‘surprise’ at all. Kai had changed the label on his dye bottle, turning it into a dark turquoise instead of a bright purple as he had wanted to try. ‘Now we match!’ he had told him with a huge grin on his face, but his boyfriend hadn’t smiled. Luckily Kai always knew how to make it up to him.

Those hours spent with them had made him feel so much better. Unfortunately, it hadn’t lasted.

His father had come back in an awful mood and had let his anger and stress out on him, resuming the conversation they’d had in the morning. Milo hadn’t talked, but only listened to his hurtful words and slight threats. And once back in his room after a meagre dinner, he cried again, silently. But this time, instead of harming his body, he texted Maeva as she had asked him to do each time he felt the need to hurt himself, and they’d talked until late in the night.

The clock on his nightstand showed 07:35. It was time for him to leave the house and walked to school.

 

The two days passed too quickly for him.

He woke up late, long past nine, after talking with Kai on his laptop a huge part of the night, laughing and trying to not make too much noise to not wake his father up. Milo blindly looked for his phone on his nightstand, stretching his body once he grabbed it. He squinted his eyes as he pressed on a button and saw he already got a few texts wishing him a happy birthday, from friends and family, the best one being Maeva’s – a compromising picture of himself wearing almost nothing, and lots of colourful feather scarves, a memory of an amazing night, a thing his father shouldn’t learn of – and thanked her, writing that he would see her later. He had decided he would get himself a present and he knew his father wouldn’t like this one. But it was his body. _His_ choices. _His_ mistakes.

The house was silent when he left his room, his father already gone to work and wouldn’t be back until this evening, just before his aunt, uncle and their children would come for his birthday. Milo liked it better like that, he could at least eat his breakfast in peace without having to hear his venomous words, take all the time he wanted under the shower – under burning hot water preferably – wear the clothes he wanted without being judged, and leave the house without spending horribly long minutes answering his questions.

Milo ate his breakfast in front of the TV, watching a few episodes of his favourite cartoon before going to the bathroom, his outfit for the day in hands. He tried to style his messy hair but came to the conclusion that he might go to the hairdresser soon to cut them a little, and maybe he’ll take the chance to change the colour. For now, he only sprayed them and gave them more volume.

He came out of the bathroom at the same time the doorbell rang.

“My, my, look at you!” Maeva’s beaming face greeted him as soon as she laid her eyes on his outfit; ripped black jeans, a black V neck t-shirt, and around his neck the necklace she had offered him a few months ago. “Who are you and what have you done to my friend?”

“That outfit was your idea, idiot.”

“The best idea I’ve ever had!” She exclaimed, hugging him. “So, ready, birthday boy?”

“Ready.” He grabbed his leather jacket, put his wallet in the pocket then they left.

The city centre wasn’t far away from his house, and the weather was perfect for a walk. Milo was glad to have her with him today, especially for what he was going to do. He knew that if she had said ‘no’, he would still have gone, but would have run back home as soon as he’d stopped in front of the shop.

He had asked Maeva for some advices, before she gently hit him on the head and told him she knew the best place to go for what he’d wished, the exact same place where she’d gotten her own piercings. And hidden tattoos.

“You sure you want to do this?” She asked him again as they reached the tattoo parlour. “Aren’t you looking for troubles with your dad here? I’m just worried, Milo. He’s not gonna like it.”

“My body, my life. It’s time he learns I’m not his toy, nor someone he can manipulate,” He said looking at the few jewels displayed in the window. “I want it. I’ve wanted it since you got yours and I think four years are enough to think about it.”

“This is gonna end badly, but I fully support you. Let’s go!”

She pushed the door open and Milo was surprised to hear classical music being played in the shop, covering the noise of the machines in use in two of the three little rooms. Milo had expected something more violent, something that would reflect the decorations in the windows and the name of the shop. The Inkubi.

“Maeva!!!” A tall individual ran to her, crushing her into a tight hug. Milo wasn’t expecting someone like them working here either. Dressed in pastel colours, with pale purple and green hair, their eyelids were coloured in dark blue, a pair of glasses was resting on their thin pierced nose and their full bottom lip had a ring too. “Here to suffer again?”

“Not this time, Jade. It’s my friend’s turn.”

“First time?” They asked him, and Milo noticed they were wearing pink contacts.

“Y-yeah.”

“Alright! Please sit down, no one bites here. So, what can we do for you?”

“I would like a lip piercing, like Maeva. Is it, is it possible?”

“Sure! Do you have your parents’ permission, or better, are you eighteen?” Milo nodded, and with a huge smile, they put a form in front of him. “Read it and complete it please, then we’ll get on with the serious business.”

Milo completed the information, name and age, allergies, if he had drunk alcohol or taken any painkillers today, etc, then handed them the form back.

Jade’s eyes lit up. “Guys! We have a birthday boy!!”

Milo saw the tattoo artists bend their head and started to sing him ‘happy birthday’. It was awful, they were singing out of tune, but it made him smile and he appreciated the gesture. Once the song was over, he followed Jade into their ‘torture chamber’ like they loved to call it. He listened to their explanations as they were putting their gloves and mask on and reassured him as best as they could. They asked him if he was ready, and when he nodded, a sharp pain pierced his lip.

“And it’s done! Are you okay?”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

“Here for you,” Jade handed him a piece of paper concerning the treatment and the things he could and shouldn’t do during the healing process. “If you have any questions, or if you see something’s wrong with your piercing, feel free to come by.”

“I will. Thanks again!”

“No problem. Okay, it’s time to release you.”

They talked for a few more minutes which ended with Maeva promising them to stop by soon to talk about a future tattoo, then left heading for the pharmacy.

“And? Happy?” Maeva asked once on their way back to Milo’s.

“More than happy. It’s throbbing though.”

“That’s normal. No, don’t touch it!” She said as Milo was about to press a finger on the ball.

They laughed more on their way. Maeva was more than glad to see that smile she loved so much back on his face. It had hurt too much to see him cry, to see him in so much pain that day. She wanted him to be happy. He deserved to be happy.

Anxiety squeezed her heart when they stopped at the front door. She followed him inside and couldn’t help but feel something bad was going to happen today.

“Are you gonna change?”

“Hell no, I’m keeping this outfit for tonight whether he likes it or not.”

“Milo,” She took his hands in hers, “Promise me to stay safe, please.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

“Please.”

He sighed but smiled. “I promise.”

“Call me if anything happens and I’ll be there in no time at all.” She’d always considered Milo as her little brother, it was her duty to protect him and be sure he would be safe. She wanted to take him with her, far away from this house and family, but that was Milo’s decision.

“I will. Stay safe on your way back home.”

Silence was one again his only company when he closed the door behind Maeva. He wouldn’t do anything reckless and take the risk to see a side of his father he didn’t want to meet. But he wasn’t going to change his cloths, nor hide his piercing.

Milo ran to his bedroom and put some music on, opening the window to let the melody flow outside dancing with the wind, deciding he would put out the plates and cutlery later. He had done today a thing he had wanted to since long, without his father’s permission. Was he being disrespectful because he had done it behind his father’s back? Because he should obey him, being eighteen or not, as long as he would live beneath the same roof? Maybe. But was it giving his father the right to treat him as badly as he was? When was the last time they did something together? When was the last time Milo felt the need to talk to his father about a problem without being afraid to be mocked? When was the last time he could share his feelings with him? Milo had no idea, and doubted it ever happened.

Milo couldn’t talk to him about the kids bullying him at school. He couldn’t tell him about that boy who had kissed him one day hidden in a street between the high school and the baker’s shop, nor about the one he’d had a crush on. Couldn’t tell him how much he missed his mother. Couldn’t tell him he wished his father would be again the one he knew when he was a kid.

It would be better for him to keep everything locked inside of his heart.

Around 7 o’clock in the evening, he heard his father’s car in the courtyard as he was sending to Maeva a picture of his latest makeup attempt; nothing too much, just a bit of dark pink eyeshadow, his favourite colour. He would have to ask her for a few advices the day he’d want to do more, try to use foundation to hide those freckles he hated so much, and maybe even try to wear lipstick.

His father called him, his voice sounding a little too cheerful to his mind, and when Milo walked down the stairs, his self-confidence slowly vanishing the more he was getting closer to him, he noticed two small gift boxes nicely wrapped.

“Ah, there you are. Happy birth– what does that mean?” He said once he turned to see Milo. “If it’s a joke, I don’t have time for this Milo. Your aunt and uncle should arrive anytime now, and I still have so much to do.”

“That’s just how I dress for special occasions, you know?”

“Sure, and you took the makeup from my own pouch. I’ve always known Maeva would have a bad influence on you. We’ll talk once they leave, for now, go to your room.”

Milo obeyed, knowing he wouldn’t support his father in that state. He was calm, proud of himself, but slammed the door as he caught his father’s words.

_You disgust me._

His aunt and uncle were on his father’s side, telling him it was a little too late to go through his adolescent crisis, but his cousins loved his outfit, saying it was a nice change compared to his usual too serious outfit.

Milo spent the whole evening with his cousins, feeling much more comfortable with them than with the other adults. They talked about everything and nothing, and of course, their conversation turned into their love life. Did Milo have a girlfriend? Did he have a crush on someone? No? Well, he still had time for this. Like his father said as he heard their conversation, ‘Studies first, love life later.’.

Then came the moment for him to open his presents. From his aunt and uncle, he got two ties; one royal blue, the other red wine, his uncle telling him that now that he was a man, he needed the best accessories. He thanked them with a forced smile and opened his cousins’ present.

He almost screamed when he discovered beneath the paper the cover of the third volume of his favourite novel series. The book had been released for months, but Milo had never had the occasion to stop by the library and buy it. He would start it tonight, and no one would stop him.

His father’s presents were something he should have expected. A brand-new watch, the same model as his, and square silver cufflinks. He hated them. Those only were another step to the path on looking more like his father. He hated them, he wanted to throw them to his face and just tell him how much he hated them. And him. But he couldn’t. As much as he wanted to show his father how different they were, Milo feared him.

They left soon after, his cousins making him promise to tell them how the book was.

“You’ve disappointed me so much tonight, Milo,” His father said once he closed the front door. “I expected so much from you.”

“Like always.” Milo mumbled.

“Don’t talk to me like that, young boy,” He said, jaw clenched. “Go to the bathroom, remove that makeup. Seriously Milo… Your uncle asked me if you liked to take it, of course I said no, told him you’d marry a nice girl in a couple of years, but I’m starting to think he’s right.”

“And what if I did?” Anger was burning inside of him making him blurt things without thinking, “It’s not my fault you keep your head stuck in your ass and don’t want to open your eyes.”

His head flew to the side, cheek burning. In front of him, his father was darting piercing black eyes at him, his hand still in the air. Milo gulped as his father took him by his collar and pinned him against the wall.

Milo had made a horrible mistake.


End file.
